Macau, China, Sept. 1, 2026 (Lusa) - Revenue from casinos in the Chinese Special Administrative Region of Macau, the gambling capital of the world, fell year-on-year in August for the third consecutive month, it was announced on Tuesday.
According to official figures released by the Macau Gaming Inspection and Coordination Bureau, the sector generated 21.9 billion patacas (€2.34 billion) last month, down 1.2% on August 2025.
Macau's casino revenues had already recorded year-on-year falls of 12.1% in June and 8.4% in July, a trend analysts had attributed to the impact of the Football World Cup.
Investment bank Citigroup noted in a report that betting on the tournament, which took place between 11 June and 19 July, reduced the budget that gamblers normally set aside for Macau's gambling tables.
This is the first time since 2021, at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic, that the territory's casinos have recorded three consecutive months of year-on-year revenue declines.
The gambling industry closed 2025 with revenue of 247.4 billion patacas (€26.4 billion), the highest figure since 2019, before the start of the pandemic.
The Macau Government's budget for 2026, approved in December, forecasts that revenue will reach 236 billion patacas (€25.2 billion), which would represent a fall of 4.61% compared with last year.
The then Secretary for Economy and Finance, Anton Tai Kin Ip, described the forecast as «very prudent» and declined to set a target for the region's economic growth, which he described as highly «vulnerable to fluctuations».
Macau is the only place in China where casino gambling is legal. Six concessionaires operate in the territory, whose concession contracts for the next ten years came into force on 1 January 2023.
Casino revenue peaked in 2013 – at 360.7 billion patacas (€38.5 billion) – before the mainland Chinese authorities launched a campaign to curb illegal capital flows.
According to official figures, Macau welcomed nearly 24.5 million visitors in the first seven months of 2026, an increase of 8% over the same period last year.
Casinos accounted for almost half (47.3%) of Macau's Gross Domestic Product in 2025. When tourism is added to gambling, this sector accounted for 74.1% of the local economy.
Despite the crisis experienced during the pandemic, by the end of June the casinos employed around 66,100 people, or 17.6% of the working population.
Furthermore, gambling taxes accounted for 84.6% of Macau's total public revenue in the first seven months of the year.
The city's six casino operators pay a direct tax of 35% on gambling revenues, with 2.4% allocated to the Macau Social Security Fund and to urban and tourism development, and 1.6% paid to the Foundation for cultural, educational, scientific, academic and philanthropic purposes.
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Lusa
